Telescopic sight mount for firearms



April 30, 957 R. R. DICKENSON TELESCOPIC SIGHT MOUNT FOR FIREARMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1953 A ril 30, 1957 R. R. DICKENSON 2,7

TELESCOPIC SIGHT MOUNT FOR FIREARMS 7 Filed June 26, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,790,241 Ice Patented Apr. 30, 1957 TELESCGPIC SIGHT MOUNT FOR FIREARMS Robert R. Dickenson, Greensboro, N. C.

Application June 26, 1953, Serial No. 364,336

11 Claims. (Cl. 33-50) This invention relates to a novel telescopic sight mount for firearms and more particularly rifles and has for its primary object to provide a mount which will enable a telescopic sight to be quickly attached to or detached from a firearm, on which the mount has been-previously installed and adjusted, and which will assure that the telescopic sight when re-applied'to the mount will be properly positioned with the optical axis of the telescopic sight correctly disposed relatively to the axisof the firearm barrel and securely held so that the sight cannot be knocked out of correct adjustment while attached to the sight mount.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sight mount having novel means for detachably and adjustably retaining longitudinally spacedportions of a telescopie sight in correctly applied positions in engagement with the sight mount and whereby sight engaging portions of the mount will be releasably and yi'eld ably' retained correctly positioned relatively to a firearm engaging portion of the mount.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sight mount having a novel cradle structure adjacent one end thereof including obliquely disposed individually adjustable cradle sections forangularly adjusting the optical axis of a telescopic sight, supported by the sight mount, relatively to the barrel of a firearm on which the mount is supported.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sight mount having novel resilient hold down means cooperat ing to detachably and resiliently interconnect disengageable sections of the sight mount toinsure that the sight mount sections will be identicaly positioned with respect to one another each time that the sections are connected whereby a telescopic sight supported by the mount will thus be identically positioned relatively to the barrel of the firearm on which the mount is supported each time that the sight mount sections are assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sight mount wherein the position of a telescopic sight relatively to a firearm will not vary due to vibration when the sight is supported on the firearm by the sight mount.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustratinga presently preferred embodiment thereofland wherein:

Figure l is a top plan View of the'assenrbled sight mount;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is an end elevational View looking toward the left hand end of a sight mount as seen in Figure l and showing a conventional telescopic sight'in cross section supported by the mount and an upper fi'rearm'portion on which the mount is supported;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional ViEW" of the sight mount taken substantially along a plane as indicated by.

the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of one end of the sight mountbase;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 8--8 of Figure 5, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the' line 9 of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel telescopic sight mount in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 10 and includes a base, designated generally 11, and two telescopic sight engaging members 12 and 13.

The base 11 comprises an elongated bar 14 having end portions 15 and 16 which are substantially wider and thicker than the intermediate portion 17 of the bar 14. The end portion 16 is provided with a recessed upper side 13 which receives a hardened metal plate 19, preferably formed of steel, which is detachably secured in the recess 18 by fastenings 20. The upper side of the plate 19 is disposed coplanar with the upper surface of the end portion 15 and intermediate portion 17. The end portions 15 andv 16 are thickened on their undersides relatively to the intermediate portion 17, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4 and the undersides-of said end portions 15 and 16 are longitudinally grooved to provide concave or grooved bottom surfaces 21 and 22, respectively, which are shaped to conformably fit on longitudinally spaced portions of the upper side of a firearm'such as a rifle, as indicated at 23, and which may constitutea portion of the firearm barrel or receiver. The bar end 15 is provided with longitudinally spaced fastening receiving openings 24 to receive countersunk headed fastenings for securing said end 15 to the firearm portion 23. The bar end 16 has a fastening receiving opening 25 which extends through the plate 19 for receiving a countersunk fastening for securing said end 16 to the firearm portion 23. The end.16 may also be provided with a second fastening receiving opening 26, longitudinally spaced in the opening 25', and disposed below the plate 19 in which a second fastening may be countersunk.

The outer portion of the bar end 15 is laterally enlarged to provide corresponding outwardly and upwardly extending bar portions 27 Which are provided with corresponding threaded bores 28. The bores 28 are disposed at corresponding angles to the plane of the top surface of the bar 14. A pair of corresponding threaded studs 29 of relatively large diameters are threaded upwardly through the threaded bores 28' and extend from the upper ends thereof in upwardly converging re1ationship -to one another and have flat top' surfaces 39 which are disposed at corresponding angles to the plane of the top surface of the bar 14. The lower ends of the studs 29 are provided with kerfs 31 to receive a screw driver bit for adjustably positioning the studs 29 in the bores 28.

The bar end 15 is provided with corresponding grooves 32' which open into the adjacent or bottom portions of the bores 28, as seen in Figure 5. A leaf type spring 33' is disposedtransversely across the top surface of the bar portion 15 and is secured thereto intermediate of its ends by a screw fastening 34 which is anchored in said end 15. The spring 33 has corresponding downwardly and outwardly extending ends35 which are biased by the resiliency of the -spring.33 outwardly and upwardly toward coplanar positions with the intermediate portion of said spring andtoward the bores 28 and the studs 29 disposed therein. As best "seen in Figure 8} 3 each spring end 35 is provided on its outer or upper side with a longitudinally extending rib or ridge 36. The threads of the studs 29 are notched to form teeth 37 there- 1n, between which the ribs 36 engage, each convolution of each thread having a corresponding number of teeth 37 and with the teeth of the different thread convolutrons longitudinally aligned. Preferably, for example, sixty teeth 37 are provided in each thread convolution. Accordingly, it will be readily apparent that a click adustment is thus provided and as each stud 29 is turned to displace it upwardly or downwardly relatively to its bore 28 the spring end 35 which engages said stud will be cammed away from the stud as its'rib 36 rides over each longitudinal row of teeth-37 and will thereafter snap into position between the row of teeth over which the rib has moved and an adjacent row of teeth. This operation will be sufliciently audible so that the clicks may be counted to adjust the two studs 29 to an equal extent or to elfecta desired adjustment of one stud relatively to the other for positioning the upper surfaces 30 of the studs to correctly support a telescopic sight with the optical axis of the sight correctly disposed relatively to the barrel of the firearms on which the base 11 is secured. The laterally extending end portions 27 are provided with slots 38 opening outwardly thereof and into the bores 28, and said portions 27 have bores 39 which intersect the slots 38 and which are provided with threaded inner ends 39a. A screw 40 is countersunk in each bore 39 and loosely fits the unthreaded outer end thereof and threadedly engages the inner end 39a where by the screws 40 are tightened for restricting the slots 38 and the bores 28 to clamp the studs 29 in said bores 28 after a proper adjustment of the two studs has been obtained. The bar portions 27 have extensions extending beyond the outer end of the remainder of the end portion 15 forming laterally spaced lugs 41 having coplanar bottom surfaces, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The bar end 16, including its top plate 19, is provided with a relatively large bore 42 extending perpendicularly therethrough. Said bar end 16 is provided with a recess 43, partially formed in the plate 19 and disposed intermediate of the side edges of said end 16. The recess 43 is disposed between the bore 42 and the distal end of the bar portion 16 and opens into said bore 42. As seen in Figure 7, the end portion 16 is provided with transversely aligned bore portions 44 the adjacent ends of which open into the recess 43 and the remote ends of which open outwardly of the sides of the end portion 16. The bores 44 have upper halves formed in the underside of the plate 19 and bottom halves formed in the bar portion 16 located below said plate. A shaft 45 is journalled in the bore portions 44. A relatively wide pawl 46 is fixed to an intermediate portion of the shaft 45 and is swingably disposed in the recess 43 and bore 42. It will be understood that the shaft 45 and pawl 46 are applied to the upper side of the bar end 16 before the plate 19 is applied to and secured in the recess 18, and that the plate 19 retains the shaft 45 in the bore 44. An elongated lever 47, formed of a resilient metal, is secured at one end thereof to an endof the shaft 45 which extends outwardly from the side of the bar end 16 and the lever 47 is relatively thin and narrow from said secured end thereof to adjacent its opposite free end and the opposite free end thereof is laterally enlarged to form a thumb rest 48. As seen in Figures 1, 2 and 9, a hook 49 has a shank end 50 which is secured by fastenings 51 to the underside of the intermediate bar portion 17, adjacent the end portion 15. The hook 49 opens downwardly and is spaced outwardly from the side edge of the intermediate bar portion 17, adjacent to which the lever 47 is disposed and said hook 49 has an inturned free end or bill portion 52 which extends a short distance back toward the bar 14. The lever 47 is sufliciently resilient so that it may be sprung around the hook portion 52 to engage under the hook 49 and over the 4 bill portion 52 to retain the lever 47 in a latched position as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 9. A narrow intermediate portion 53 of the lever 47, more specifically the part thereof located adjacent the thumb or finger rest 48, engages and is latched by the hook 49.

The sight engaging member 12 includes a relatively wide clamp which is adapted to engage around a portion of the barrel of a telescopic sight 54. Said band 12 has spaced outturned end portions 55 provided with apertures 56 to receive a nut and bolt fastening 57 by which the clamping band 12 is drawn together or restricted for clamping it around the barrel of the telescopic sight 54. An outer end of the band 12 at the bottom thereof and remote from the end portions 55 is provided with a depending extension 58 having laterally extending end portions 59 forming hooks which are adapted to engage under the lugs 41, as best illustrated in Figure 3.

The sight engaging member 13 likewise includes a relatively long clamping band which engages around another portion of the barrel of the sight 54 and which is provided with laterally spaced upturned end portions 60 one of which is provided with openings 61 to loosely receive screw fastenings 62 and the other of which is provided with threaded openings 63 to threadedly receive said screw fastenings for drawing the end portions or ears 60 toward one another to restrict the clamp 13 for securing it in clamping engagement around a portion of the sight barrel. The clamp 13, as best illustrated in Figure 6, has a relatively thick bottom portion 64 the underside of which is substantially flat as seen at 65. A boss 66 forms a depending integral extension of said underside 65 and is preferably located adjacent one end thereof and is sized to loosely fit the bore 42. Said boss 66 is provided with a notch 67 in its upper portion and which opens toward the opposite end of the clamp 13 and which has a downwardly and outwardly inclined upwardly facing bottom surface 68. A pair of threaded stems 69 are threaded into the bottom portion 64 of the clamp 13 and extend downwardly from the underside 65 thereof. The stems 69 are disposed remote to the boss 66 and in laterally spaced relationship to one another and are individually adjustable in the bottom portion 64.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the telescopic sight engaging clamps 12 and 13 may be clamped to the barrel of the telescopic sight 54, which is of a conventional construction, and properly spaced relatively to one another so that when the hooks 59 are engaging the undersides of the lugs 41 the boss 66 can be swung downwardly through the opening or bore 42. In applying the telescopic sight 54 with the clamps 12 and 13 properly secured thereto, the hooks 59 are initially engaged under the lugs 41 after which the sight is swung downwardly in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure 4 to cause the boss 66 to pass downwardly through the bore 42 and to cause circumferentially spaced bottom portions of the clamp 12 to assume positions in engagement with the top surfaces 30 of the studs 29. During this movement the sight 54 is fulcrumed by engagement of the clamp 12 on the studs 29. In order that the boss 66 can pass downwardly through the bore 42, the lever 47 must have previously been disengaged from the hook 49 and swung upwardly so that the pawl 46 is extending upwardly and toward the end of the clamp 13, from which the boss 66 depends. Accordingly, as the boss 66 moves downwardly into the bore 42 the upper end of the pawl 46 will be engaged and swung downwardly by the bottom surface 65 of the clamp 13 into the notch 67. The lever 47 is then forced downwardly to engage the pawl 46 against the inclined bottom surface 68 of the notch 67 and a further downward and outward force is thereafter exerted on the lever 47 to spring said lever downwardly and outwardly and so that it can thereafter be displaced inwardly and around the bill 52 of the book 49 and into its latched position under the hook 49 as illustrated in Figures 1 2 and9. With tl'1'e*lever* thus disposed in a:

latched position, said lever will be under tensionvforresilientl'y urging thepawl 46 dhwnwardly against" thenotch surface 68 so that the: clarnp-13 will be resilientlyurged downwardly and so that the stems 69 will he resiliently held against the upper surface ofthe plate- 19.' With the parts 11, 12- and 13 tlius connected the sight mount is fully assembled for supporting the telescopicsight 4 immovably on the-firearnr-portion' to which the-base- 11 is secured. It will bereadily apparent that the studs 29 may be adjusted to properlyposition the optical" axis of the telescopic sight 54 relatively to the axis of the barrel of the firearm portion 23' andthat the stems'69' the barrel part 23 to center the axis-of the-sight over the barrel part 23. The-fact that the pawl 46*is resiliently urged downwardly by the'lever 47, when -engaged lieneath the hook 49, enables the axis of the sight to be angularly adjusted vertically by extendingor' retracting the stems 69. It will be understood that either of these adjustments-- of the axis of the. sight 54.relative,.to the axis of the barrel portion 23 will' normally be slight; Thus, the'top surfaces 36 of the studs29 combine to form. a cradle at one end" of the sight mount which iscomposed ofvindiv-idually adjustable cradle sections. As the sight. holding members 12 and 13 are resiliently heldtby the tension lever-47in their positions as illustrated.in-:Figure 4even if said members 12 and 13 andthe sight 54 should be momentarily jarred out of their; correctipositions-rela; tlvely to the. base 11, the tension of the.lever 47 willliirnv mediately return the parts to the positions as illustrated in Figure 4 with the optical axis of the telescopic sight mount correctly positioned. relatively to the firearm-barrel axis.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A telescopic sight mount for firearms comprising an elongated base and first and second telescopic sight barrel engaging clamps; said base comprising an elongated bar secured to and disposed longitudinally of a portion of a firearm, said bar having a cradle adjacent one end thereof, said clamps being detachably and adjustably secured around a barrel of a telescopic sight in longitudinally spaced relationship to one another, said first clamp having portions resting on said cradle, inter-engaging means detachably connecting said first mentioned bar end to said first clamp forwardly of the cradle to retain the first clamp against upward displacement away from the base, said second clamp having a depending boss provided with an outwardly opening notch, the other second end of the bar having a bore to receive said boss, a shaft journalled in said second bar end and transversely thereof, a pawl fixed to and extending laterally from said shaft, a lever secured to one end of said shaft and disposed to one side of the base, said lever being swingable in one direction for turning the shaft to swing said pawl downwardly into said bore and into engagement with the notch to retain the boss in said bore, and a latch keeper fixed to the base and disposed in engagement with said lever when the pawl is in engagement with said notch to retain the shaft and pawl against turning movement in the opposite direction. I

2. A telescopic sight mount for firearms comprising an elongated base and first and second telescopic sight barrel engaging clamps; said base comprising an elongated bar secured to and disposed longitudinally of a portion of a firearm, said bar having a cradle adjacent one end thereof, said clamps being detachably and adjustably secured around a barrel of a telescopic sight in longitudinally spaced relationship to one-another; said'firsti clamp" having portions resting on-"said -cradl'e; inter-engaging" means detachably connecting said 'fi'r'st mentioned b ar' end} to said firsn clamp to retain thefirst clamp: against" upward= displacement away from the base, said second to-retaihthebossin saidbore; and a latch keeper fixed" to the base and disposed in engagement wi'th said lever when the'pawl' isin engagement with said notchto retain theshaft and pawl against turning m'ovement, said fir'st mentioned bar end havinglaterally projectii-ig'outwardly and upwardly inclined portions, studs extending'threadedly through said laterally-extending bar end portions'and disposed in upwardly and inwardlyconverging relation-- shiprelatively to one another, said studs-having flat upper ends defining faces onwhich portions of i said first clamp engages and constituting individual sections of the cradle; said cradle sections b'eingindividu'all'y adjustablefor adjusting the optical axis of'the' telescopic sight supported by said clamps;

3i A telescopic sight mountas-in-claim 2, and means for clamping saidstuds in selected adjusted positions.

4f. A telhscopic'si'ght mount as=-ihclaim--3, and a 'clicli' adju stmentmeans for'saidistuds including 'notchl'es fo'rmed in threads of the studs, and a spring secured to' said' bar having end portions provided "with ribs andspring Biased into engagement: withi the notches: of the? stud threads;v

5'1: A; telescopic sightmount.forrfirearmsconiprising an;

elongated hasewandr firstaandsecond; telescopic sight :bar-,

rel engaging clamps; said base comprising an elongated bar secured to and disposed longitudinally of a portion of a firearm, said bar having a cradle adjacent one end thereof, said clamps being detachably and adjustably secured around a barrel of a telescopic sight in'longitudinally spaced relationship to one another, said first clamp having portions resting on said cradle, inter-engaging means detachably connecting said first mentioned bar end to said first clamp to retain the first clamp against upward displacement away from the base, said second clamp having a depending boss provided with an outwardly opening notch, the other second end of the bar having a bore to receive said boss, a shaft journalled in said second bar end and transversely thereof, a pawl fixed to said shaft, a lever secured to one end of said shaft and disposed to one side of the base, said lever being swingable in one direction for turning the shaft to. swing said pawl into said bore and into engagement with the notch to retain the boss in said bore, and a latch keeper fixed to the base and disposed in engagement with said lever when the pawl is in engagement with said notch to retain the shaft and pawl against turning movement, said interengaging means comprising laterally spaced lugs forming projections of said first mentioned bar end and having downwardly facing coplanar surfaces, and one end of said first clamp having a depending extension provided with laterally projecting portions forming hooks, said hooks engaging the coplanar bottom surfaces of the lugs when said first clamp is disposed in the cradle to prevent upward displacement of the first clamp relatively to the first mentioned bar end.

6. A telescopic sight mount as in claim 5, said boss being restrained from movement longitudinally of the base by engagement in said bore of the second bar end to retain said hook portions in engagement with the lugs.

7.' A telescopic sight mount for firearms comprising an elongated base and first and second telescopic sight barrel engaging clamps; said base comprising an elongated bar secured to and disposed longitudinally of a portion of a firearm said bar having a cradle adjacentone end thereof, said clamps being detachably and adjustably secured 'around a barrelof a telescopic sight in longitu dinally spaced relationship to one another, said first clamp having portions resting on said cradle, inter-engaging means detachably connecting said first mentioned bar end to said first clamp to retain the first clamp against upward displacement away from the base, said second clamp having a depending boss provided with an outwardly Opening notch, the other second end of'the bar having a bore to receive said boss, a shaft journalled in said second bar end and transversely thereof, a pawl fixed to said shaft, a lever secured to one end of said shaft and disposed to one side of the base, said lever being swingable in one direction for turning the shaft to swing said pawl into said bore and into engagement with the notch to retain the boss in said bore, and a latch keeper fixed to the base and disposed in engagement with said lever when the pawl is in engagement with said notch to retain the shaft and pawl against turning movement, said lever being formed of a resilient metal and being held under tension when in engagement with the latch keeper whereby the pawl is resiliently urged downwardly by the tensioned lever against a bottom surface of the boss notch to resiliently urge said second clamp downwardly toward the second bar end.

8. A telescopic sight mount as in claim 7, and laterally spaced stems adjustably secured in and depending from said second clamp and engaging on an upper side of the second bar'end when said lever is held under tension in a latched position, said justable stems each being spaced from said boss.

9. A telescopic sight mount as in claim 8, said latch keeper being secured to and projecting laterally from the bar and being disposed between the bar ends and having a downwardly opening inturned hook portion in which a portion of the lever is engaged and held in a latched os is I 10. A telescopic sight mount comprising an elongated base member secured to a firearm and longitudinally thereof, first and second clamps detachably secured around a telescopic sight barrel in longitudinally spaced relationship to one another, meansforming a hook connection between an extension of the first clamp and a firstend of the base to restrain the first clamp against upward displacement away from the base, said first end of the base having a cradle formed of individually adjustable sections engaged by portions of the first clamp when restrained by said hook means, said second clamp having a depending boss, the other second end of said base having a bore to receive said boss for retaining the clamps and telescopic sight against longitudinal movement relatively to the base, and manually actuated means resiliently'engaging and retaining the boss in said bore.

1 1. A telescopic sight mount as in claim 10, and laterally spaced stems adjustably secured in and depending from said second clamp and resting on the second end of the base when said boss is resiliently latched in the bore thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,365,976 Sorensen Dec. 26, 1944 2,396,404 Williams et al Mar. 12, 1946 2,449,750 Redmond Sept. 21, 1948 2,539,008 Brookhyser Jan. 23, 1951 2,576,007 Fischer et al Nov. 20, 1951 2,585,985 Anderson Feb. 19, 1952 2,641,057 Moore June 9, 1953 a FOREIGN PATENTS 64,031 Switzerland Dec. 19, 1912 

